Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - WL 103W D100

Early World Literatures (3)

Class Number: 6176

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Maria Barraza
    mbarraza@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-8282

  • Instructor:

    Sessional

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces ways of comparing early world literatures across time and space. May explore fundamental themes such as love, heroism, or the underworld. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:



Food is a powerful system of communication, as Roland Barthes has posited. Yet, how can we interpret it beyond “basic physiological need”? This course aims to broach this question by homing in on both the abundant presence of food (feasting) and its glaring absence (fasting) in pre-modern texts from around the globe. This dialectical relationship between restrain and excess will inform our readings of diverse texts such as the Quiché Mayan Popol Vuh, Homer’s The Odyssey, Galen’s On Food and Diet, St. Augustine’s “The Usefulness of Fasting,” as well as others. Some of the topics we will explore include the pre-Columbian foodways of Mesoamerica, the dietary customs of Early Christianity, the eating habits of second-century Romans, as well as the important social role of commensal eating patterns.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Formulate an argument based on a literary text.
  • Produce an organized literary essay.
  • Articulate ideas about food as cultural signifier in relation to literary texts from around the world.

Grading

  • Attendance & Participation 15%
  • Group Oral Report 10%
  • Essay #2 and re-write 25% +25 % 50%
  • Final Exam (in-person) 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

1) Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. Available online.

2) St. Augustine, “The Usefulness of Fasting.” Available online through the SFU library.

3) Homer, The Odyssey (Selected Chapters). Available online through the SFU library.

4) Galen, On Food and Diet. Available online through the SFU library.

Additional material will be provided by the instructor.


Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.